Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-08-12
WRECKED By A WAVE,
Awful Accident at Milwaukee Occa-
stoned by the Launching of
Steamer.
Water Displaced by a Hull CruSheS a
Dock and Shed Crowded With
People.
Three Persons Killed and Several In
jGred. Many Fatally-An En-
citing. Scene.
Mourning at Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE, Wis, Aug. GA terrible
accident happened to-day during the
launching of the new steam barge Wolf
at Wolf i Dayidson's ship yard. The
crowd of men, women and children that
gathered to witness the event was great
The dock of the Northwestern Coal COM
P9ny on the opposite side of the slip af-
forded good lookout from which to wit
ness the lapnch, and was taken advantage
of by hundreds of spectators. Messrs
Volt Davidson repeatedly cautioned
the people not to stand on the upper
platform, and finally sent two police OH
GERS to enforce their request, but to no
purpose. As the Wolf struck water her
port bilgo was buried deeply in the black
water of the slip. Then she recovered
and rolled heavily to port. The water dis
placed by her hull rose like tidal wave,
and swept over the coal dock and up to-
ward its roof, causing a cloud of coal
dust and spray. The supports of the
dock were insufficient to withstand the
force of the wave, and about forty feet
of the shed went down with its living
freight.
Instantly the shed went down there was
wild excitement on the deck of the
steamer. Hands were thrown up in hor-
ror, and the crowd III the ship-yard were
appealed to by those who, although near
at hand, were powerless to afford succor.
When all who could be seen in the debris
had been removed, those in the vicinity
pcered into the black water of the river
with
BLANCHED FACES.
The roof of the shed had been SO thickly
crowded that it seemed more than pro
ba ole that many who had but few min
utes before been happy, and expecting
people on pleasure bent. were now
corpses unoer the floating debris of wreck
and the launch. The patrol wagons were
summoned and express wagons turned
into ambulances, and the injured were
hurried away to places where surgical aid
could be rendered. Thousand had tears
in their eyes. Joy had been turned into
grief in the twinkling of an eye. Fathers
and mothers who knew their children
were somewhere in the great crowd of
spectators rushed hither and thither
crying and looking for their loved ones.
The confusion was indescribable. The
terrible cries of the women and children
caused thrill of horror to run through
the great crowds on the opposite bank of
the slip.
row boats were on the scene and assisted
materially in rescuing unfortunate be-
ings from drowning. The self-saving
crew as well as the great body of vol
uDteer boatmen were at s o'clock still at
work dragging the slip and river in the
vicinity of the accident in the hope of
recovering the bodies of any that may
have been drowned. However, there are
good reasons to suppose that but few
nave been drowned, for the second huge
tidal wave swept the crowd back on the
ground.
DENNIS M'KAY, OF CH AGO,
who is visiting his friend Collins Den
mister, of No 503 Pierce street, stood in
the middle of the platform when it went
down. He touched the ground, ard in
the next moment felt large iron coal
bucket fall on him. But simultaneously
the wave struck the heavy bucket and
threw 1t to one side, where it struck Ed.
Zerbel, II years old, crushing his head
into shapeless mass and killing him
instantly. Mckay was injured about the
head, but will recover. His friends at
Chicago do not know that he is in Mil
w&ukee.
Michael Spiegel, the second engineer
of the Northwestern Fuel Company was
also precipiteted into the water but
swan ashore. Near him was one man
fighting with death. He grabbed hold
of him and pushed him ashore, but Just
then the bow of the Wolf ran over both
| and crushed the man whom Spiegel held.
| The corpse was washed away, and has
not been found. Spiegel was saved.
Two sisters, dressed alike, clasped each
other in firm embrace when they fell.
Neither of them has been seen again.
Nicholas Frehling, a trunk dealer of
Kansas City, Mo, is visiting his sister in
town, and attended the launch with his
entire family. All were hunt, and it is
thought that Mrs. Frehling will die ere
morning.
Charles L. Walwig, moulder and the
only support of his mother, had his legs
and body crushed so badly that he died
tonight.
Exaggerated reports of the disaster
reached the city, and then thousands re-
paired to the scene. great many peo-
pie are being missed, and the newspaper
offices have been besieged with anxious
| inquirers wishing to procure informa-
ton as to the names of the killed anG in
| iured.
| The body of young Zeerbel was taken
to the morgue shortly after the accident,
when his father appeared and begged as
privilege that he be allowed to take the
body to his home. The scene as the faith
er, bowed with grief, identified the corpse,
was heartrending in the extreme.
Many parasols, umbrellas, wraps,
and other articles of wearing apparel,
were picked up in the water. The whole
| police patrol force of the city was called
! into requisition to aid in removing the
wounded to their homes. Messrs. Wolf
d Davidson, while terribly panied by the
| occurrence, feel that they did all in their
| power to prevent just what happened by
repeatedly warning the crowd of their